(From left) MBA Vice President Martha Rush O’Mara, MBA Chief Legal Counsel and Chief Operating Officer Martin W. Healy, MBA President Douglas K. Sheff, Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Roderick L. Ireland and MBA Vice President Christopher P. Sullivan Attorneys from over 50 Boston-area law firms and organizations participating in the 15th annual Walk to the Hill for Civil Legal Aid
The 15th annual Walk to the Hill for Civil Legal Aid took place on January 30, 2014 in the Great Hall of the State House. Chief Justice Roderick Ireland addressed over 500 lawyers who came to participate. Ireland advised participants to advocate to their legislators the need to support increased state funding for civil legal aid.
The objective of this year’s Walk to the Hill is to increase state funding for groups that offer guidance and representation to low-income residents confronting significant civil legal issues. According to Douglas K. Sheff, president of the Massachusetts Bar Association, who also spoke at the program, “Funding for civil legal aid is a bit over three hundredths of one percent of the overall state budget… The Massachusetts Bar Association is in a unique position to help encourage our legislature to do the right thing, and the right thing is to empower the poor with the resources necessary to seek justice in our great Commonwealth.”
The Walk was co-sponsored by the Equal Justice Coalition, Boston Bar Association, Massachusetts Bar Association and several other local and specialty bar associations.
